Automatic car-dump



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. STORY. AUTOMATIC GARDUMP.

No. 463,006. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

Patented Novw.- 10, 1891.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetS--Sheet :3.

J STORY.

AUTOMATIG CAR DUMP. y No. 463,006. i Patented Nov. 10,1891.

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I i o EN mmm q c@ i l lmmlll M8-@M- BVM5 AURNEYS i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' .lOl-IN STORY, OF'LONACONING, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC CAR-DUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,006, dated November 10, 1891.

Application led March 19, 1891- Serial No. 385,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN STORY, residing at Lonaconing, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Dumps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to automatic car-dumps for mines; and it has for its object to provide suitably-arranged devices whereby as the loaded cars travel down to the dump they will be engaged thereby and have their gates first automatically unlocked, the car then dumped, and then by -gravity switched oft' onto another track, so as to allow of their return to the mine for iilling.

My invention consists in providing a switch or tipple section of track which is arranged at the intersection of two track-sections, both arranged on a downgrade, but running in reverse directions, and pivotally supported in such a manner that as the loaded car passes down from one track it will engage said switchsection, tilting same, and at the same time shifting such switch-section, so that it will come in line with the otherrtrack-section as the car falls back in position after discharging its load,so as` to admit of its return to the place of filling.

It also consists in providing suitably-arranged automatic locking devices which serve to hold the said switch-section in its 4lastnamed position until the car passes from it, said car serving as it passes down the track away from the switch to unlock said locking devices to permit the switch-section to resume its normal position.

Finally, my invention consists in the peculiar combination and novel arrangement of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully described in the annexed specification and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a plan View of my improved cardunip, showing the switch or tipple in posil tion to receive the loaded car, the dotted lines showing the position of the tipple and the unloaded car about to leave it. Fig. 2 is a side view of the tipple or switch section in position to receive the loaded car. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the car as dumping an'd the switch-section tilted. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section on the line 4 4, Fig. l, showing the parts in their locked position. Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the same tripped by the car and operating to knock out the gate-pin. tion on the line 6 6, Fig. 1, showing the tipple in its iirst or normal position, the dotted lines indicating the rear ends thereof tilted, thereby bringing the shifting devices to the dotted position. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the tipple in its second position.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown two track-sections A and B, which run in reverse directions and are inclined in the directions indicated by the arrows a and b, one of such tracks A being arranged to guide the loaded cars, while the other B serves as 4 the track for carrying off the unloaded cars. At the junction of the tracks A and B, I arrange my improved dumping device, which is commonly called the tipple, and which is in` the natureof atilting switch,the outer end of which operates above the dump.

The tipple C consists of a short track-section supported upon the cross-ties D and E and pivotally held to the forward cross-tie by means of the rod F, held in bearings ff. on the tie D, which rod passes through bearings G and G, secured to beams c c of the section C. By reference to"Fg. 2 it will be observed that the bearings G G are located at a point forward of the center of the said section, it being so balanced that the weight of the car after the load has been dumped will serve to position in a manner as will presently bedescribed. It will also be observed by refer- Fig. '6 is a transverse secl bring the said section back to its horizontal ence to said ligure and Fig. 4of the drawings that the bearing G is formed of a size just large enough to allow a slight free play upon the rod F, while the bearing G is provided with an elongated slot g, whereby to allow of a free movement on said bar F, such con- Structiou allowing the rear end ot' the tripple to be swung laterally from one track to the other, the bearing G'serving as a pivot from which the tipple is swung. It will further be noticed in Figs. 2 and 4 that the ends of the tracks are continued on the beams c c beyond IOO the bearings G G' and are then turned up to form stops H H, against which the wheels of the cars abut as they run onto the tipple. By this construction it will be observed that when the loaded car passes onto the tipple it will be stopped by the stops I-I I-I, and, its weight overbalancing the tipple, will allow its front end to dump the load, and in doing so the tipple will, as it is elevated, swing on its pivot, so that when it drops back to its horizontal position it will be in line with the discharge-track, thus allowing the empty car to automatically leave the tipple and return to the place of filling.

For temporarily holding the tipple to the discharge-track and to automatically reset it to the loaded track, I provide the means most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of thedrawings, by reference to which it will be seen that on the cross-tie E is disposed a shifting bar J, held in guide-loops K K and formed Y with notches or cut-away portions L L', which rest and slide upon pins or studs Z Z, said notches being formed with a vertical portion Pand an inclined face Z3, as shown. Adjacent the notch Lf is arranged a lug M, form ed with projecting fingers m fm', to one of which m is attached a wire cord or chain, which passes underapulley N- on the tie E and is connected with the cross-piece e2 of the tipple-frame, while the other fm is connected to a wire cord or chain O, which-passes over a pulley P and khas attached to its end a weight Q, as shown.

Upon the outer end of the bar .I is a vertical finger R, formed with a beveled upper edge r, whereby it can readily be slipped under a gravity locking-lever S, which is pivoted at s to one of the ties of the track-section B, and which is provided with a finger S2, which projects up to the side of the track for engagiement with the wheels of the car as it passes it.

As the ends of the tracks A and B are disposed at different planes, I form the cross-tie E with cut-away portions c e, in which the ends of the track-beams of the tipple seat when they are turned for alignment with the track B.

By the aforesaid construction it will be observed that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6 and the rear end of the tipple is then elevated it will draw on the cord and shift the bar J to the position shown in Fig. 7. Its nger R, slipping under the lever S, will serve to hold it in such position even after the tipple is lowered into the recessed portions of the tie E. It will also be noticed that the bar is so arranged that when in its outer position its upper edge will be flush with the recessed parts e of the tie E. Now when the car, after having been dumped, passes from the tipple its wheels will engage the ends s2 of the leverS and lift it from engagement with linger R, which, becoming thus disengaged, will be drawn inward by the weight Q. Its inclined faces engaging the studs elevate it slightly and lift the rear end of the tipple from the recesses e e. The 1ingerR then pulling against the outer timber c pulls the tipple over to itsnormal position in line with the track A.

Thus far I have described the means for dumping the car and shifting it from one track to the other. Y describe the means 'for automatically unlocking the end-gate of the car as it passes onto the tipple, the construction of such devices being most particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, by referring to which it will be seen that I provide a long lever-arm 10, pi voted near its rear end between ears20, projected up from a longitudinal brace-bar 30, arranged centrally of the tipple and for vertical play between the spring-fingers 40 40, formed with the lugs 50 50, which serve, when the spring-fingers 40 are in their normal position, to limit the upper movement of the said lever l0, it being formed with lateral lugs 60, which engage the lugs 50 50 for the purpose stated. A weight 70, hung from the rear end of the lever, serves to normally hold itin its upper position.

Upon the outer end of the lever lO is hinged, at its lower end, a lifting or knocker arin 80, preferably of the form shown, which is normally held upward by Ineansof the rods 90 `90, which are pivotally connected with a transverse rod 1l, which serves to connect the upper ends of bent arms 2l, which are pivoted upon the pin 31, which also serves as the pivot of the lever l0, said pivot 3l being disposed in advance of the rod 11, as shown, and upon the lower ends of the arms 2l are secured the weights 41, (or springs, if desired,) which serve to normally pull the'upper ends of the arms 21 rearward.

Upon the rod ll is hinged the rear end ofl ing devices operate is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the positionshown in Fig. 4, the car before the wheels strike the stops I-I will strike against the knocker-arm 8O and press it outward, which causes the rods 90 to pull the upper ends of the arms 21 forward and, forces the locking-latch 51 to force the spring-lingers outward until the lugs 50 and 60 become disengaged, which allows the weight on the end of the lever l0 tov quickly throw the knocker-arm 80 upward, which in its movement striking the pin X, which holds the gate closed, releases it and allows the gate to iiy open, and the car at this moment tilting will dump theload. Then the car tilts down and the load is discharged, it causes the gate and coal to bear against the arm 8O and presses it down to a horizontal position, and in doing so turns the rods 90 90 into spring tension- I shall now proceed tov IOO IIO

bars, owin g to their peculiar arrangement andtlieir engagement with the lugs 6l, so that the moment the car tilts back to its horizontal position the tension created by the pressure on the outer ends of the rods 90 will serve to throw the said arm up to its vertical position, the weight on the arms 21 2l assisting to bring the parts back to their locked positions.

Havingthus described my invention, what l claim as new is- 1. The combination,with the oppositely-inclined track-sectionsAB', of a tipple orswitch section disposed at the junction of said tracksections, and means whereby said tipple is adapted to receive the loaded car Jfrom the section A, be tilted, and swung laterally thereby to switch said car from the section A to the sectien B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the oppositely-inclined track-sections A and B, of the switchsection C, disposed at the junction of the sections A and B and mounted to be vertically tilted and swung laterally as the loaded car engages same, and devices for automatically returning said switch-section to its normal position after the car leaves it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the oppositely-inclined track-sections A 4and B and a switch-section disposed at the junction of said tracksections and mounted to be vertically tilted and swung laterally by the loaded car as it vruns on same, of automatically-operated locking devices which serve to temporarily hold the switch-section C in line with the tracksection B and which are released by the car as it passes' down the section B, whereby the said switch-section C will be swung back to the track A, substantially' as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the oppositely-inclined track-sections A and B, of the tipple or switch section C, arranged at the junction of the sections A and B, said section horizontally pivoted at a point forward ot' its'center and arranged to swinglaterally on such pivot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination,with the oppositely-inclined track-sections A and B, of theswitchsection C, disposed at the junction of the sections A and B, the supports D and E, and the shaft or rod F on the support D, said section C having longitudinal timbers c c, provided A with bearings at a point forward of their centers lit-ting on the rod F, one of such bearings formed with an elongated slot, whereby said section C is arranged to be swung laterally on the rod F, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the track-sections A and B andthe switch-section C, supported on the cross-ties D and E and mounted to tilt and swinglaterally, as described, of the shifting bar formed with a vertical finger R, adapted to engage the switch C, arranged for transverse movement on the tie E, a connection between the bar and the switch C,whereby it is pulled forward as the switch is tilted, and a weight for pulling the bar back to its normal position, as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, with the track-sections A B, inclined in opposite directions, and the switch-section O, arranged at the junction of said sections A and B and 1r ounted to tilt and swing laterally, of a shitting bar arranged for transverse movement on the cross-tie E and formed with a vertical finger R, adapted to engage the switch C, a connection between said bar and the switch, whereby it is shifted outward when the switch C is tilted, a triplever mounted on the track-section B, adapted to engage said bar when swung outward and hold it, anda weight adapted to pull said bar back when released from the trip-lever, said lever adapted to be disengaged from the bar by the car as it passes down the track B, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

8L The combination, with the track-sections A and B, inclined in opposite directions, and the switch-section C, arranged as shown, of the cross-tie E, formed with recesses e e, the shifting bar J, provided with a iinger R, adapted to engage the outer timber c of the switch, said bar arranged to normally have its upper edge iiush with the top of the tie E and adapted to be moved outward as. the switch is swung outward, the timbers c c of the switch, adapted to engage the recessed portions of the tie when in line with the tracksection B, and means for normally drawing the bar back toward the track-section A, said bar adapted to first lift the timbers c out ot the recesses e e and then pull the switch over to said track-section A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination, with the track-sections A and B, oppcsitelyinclined,as shown, of the switch-section C, consisting of the side timbers c, the tracks having upturn'ed ends forming stops H forward of the pivotal points of said switch, the cross-tie D, and the pivotal connection between said switch and tie, whereby the switch is tilted and swung laterally when the 4car runs thereon, substantially as and for the purpose described.

lO..The combination, with the switch-section C, arranged'as shown, of the pivoted lever 10, provided with a knocker-arm 80, pivoted on its outer end, and means for normally holding said arm SO and the lever l() in a locked position, said lever and arm arranged for engagement by the car-body, whereby the lever will first become released and it and the arm S0 then thrown upward, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ll. The combination, with the switch-section C and the car and locking-latch on the car-gate, of the lever lO, pivoted near its rear end to the section C, the spring-arms 4,0 40, formed with stop-lugs 50 50, the means for IOO ITO

pulling ends of said lever 10 down and the forward end up against said lugs 5() 50, a locking-latch for holding the parts in the aforesaid positions, the upwardly and inwardly proj eetin g knocker-arm 80, hinged at its lower end on the outer end of lever 10, the bent arms 21, the rods 90, connecting the arm 80 with the looking-latch, and means for drawing said latch and rods rearward, as shown, all

arranged whereby as the car engages with the weighted to throw its front end upward, spring-fingers 40 for holding the lever in a locked position,an arm 80, hinged on the end of the lever 10, said lever formed with lugs 61 near its outer end, the bent pivoted arms 21, a latch pivoted between the upper ends 0f said arms 21, its forward end arranged to engage the spring-iin gers 40,and the rods 90, connecting the arm 8O with the pivot-pin 11 of the latch-arms 21, said rods arranged to bear upon the lugs 61 and adapted when the arm 80 is depressed to become springrods to throw the arm 80 upward when released from contact with the ear, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN STORY.

Witnesses:

MATTHEW H. JONES, J osEPH D. NIoHoLs. 

